Carbonator.



N0.-843,778. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

F. R. H. THOMAS.

GARBONATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN.27.1908.

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PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907. v P. R. H. THOMA.

GARBONATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27. 1906.

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UNTTED STATES FREDERICK R. H. THOMAS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

CARBONATOR.

Specificationbf Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed January 27, 1906. Serial No. 298,149.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK R. H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oarbonators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements, and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in side elevation of my improved carbonator. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same with the hood removed. Fig. 3 is a side view of the inlet-valve on an enlarged scale. Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same taken on the broken linedatinFigS.

The principal Ob ect of my invention is to provide a simple, compact, and effective apparatus for charging liquids with gas.

I have shown in the drawings the apparatus in its preferred form, adapted foruse in charging water with carbonic-acid gas to produce what is commonly known in the trade as carbonated water or sodawater.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the body of the carbonat or, in the lower portion of which is formed a water-chamber 2 for the charged water, and in the upper portion of which is a charging-chamber 3, communicating with the water-chamber through apertures in a diaphragm 4, separating the two chambers. A hollow cap or hood 5 connects the upper end of the charging-chamber with an inletpipe 6, having a controlling-valve 7.

The liquid to be charged with gas is sup-' plied to the carbonator under pressure by means of the supply-pipe 6, which leads from any suitable source of supply.

The valve 7 is mounted upon the end of the stem 13, vertically reciprocatory within a case 1 1, the lower end of which is adapted to be closed by the valve when the same is in a raised position and to be opened when the valve is moved downwardly by a downward movement of its stem. The outlet of this valve is formed by a number of small holes 1 15, extending laterally through the valvecase communicating with the interior of the cap or hood 5.

When the valve is open, an enlarged portion 16 of the valve-stem is adapted to lit and close the upper end of the valve-case, causing the water admitted through the lower open end of the case to be expelled through the apertures 15 in small streams, forming a spray. 1

The charging-chamber comprises a percolator, being iilled with small marbles 8, through the interstices between which the water admitted through the valve 7 can trickle downwardly with constant interruption and change of direction.

Gas, as carbonic-acid gas, is admitted to the charging-chamber through the gas-supply pipe 9, leading from any convenient source of gas-supply under pressure, and passing upwardly through the apertures in the diaphragm a and through the interstices between the marbles '8 is brought into contact with the many separate particles of the dispersed water as the same percolates through the mass of marbles, affording a most favorable opportunity for the water to absorb the gas, which it has great power to do. The water thus charged with gas drops water-chamber 2, from which it may be drawn for use as desired through an outlet pipe 17, having a controlling-valve 18, the outflow being facilitated both by gravity and the pressure of gas within the carbonator.

The valve 7 is adapted to be operated by means of the lever 18, fulcrumed at one end at 19 through a link 20 upon the valve-case l and pivotally connected at 21 with the valvestem. The other end of this lever overhangs the charging-chamber and is connected by a rod 22, passing down through the charging-- chamber into the water-ch amber with a float 23, located within the water-chamber.

The parts are so arranged that when the desired amount of water is contained within the water-chamber the float will be forced upwardly with sufficient force to maintain the valve 7 closed, and when the supply of charged water recedes below the desired 1 level the weight of the float, lever, and connecting-rod, assisted by the gas-pressure, will force open the valve 7, permitting the inflow of an additional supply of water until the desired level is restored in the waterchamber.

through the apertured diaphragm 4 into the The rod 22 is maintained out of contact with the marbles 8 in its passage through the percolator by an inclosing tube 24, through which the rod loosely passes, whicn tube is provided on its lower end with a flange 25, upon which the diaphragm 4 is supported, and on its upper end with a flange 26, which rests upon. a cross Frame or spider 27, where by said tube and diaphragm and mass of marbles are supported. The water-gage 28 indicates the level of the water in the waterchamber.

The gas-supply pipe 9 may be provided with an automatic safety-valve 29 and with a "pressure-gage 30, both of which may be of any desired form.

The water-supply pipe 6 is provided with an automatic check-valve 31, which may be of any known :lorm adapted to prevent the gas from the carbonator from backing up in the water-supply pipe.

The water-supply pipe may be provided with a filter 33 and pressure-gage 3&- of any known form.

A branch pipe 35, controlled by a valve 36, permits filtered water to be drawn without passing through the carbonator, if de sired.

The water-supply pipe 6 has a controllingvalve 37, and the gas-supply pipe 9 has a controlling-valve38,which maybe of 9311," known form.

The hood 5 is provided with a petcock 39, by means of which the carbonat r can be freed of its contained gas when desired.

The percolator may be of any known form adapted to cause-the dispersion of the water and permit the same to trickle or run down wardly with requent oh nges of direction.

The space inclosed b the hood 5 constitutes the valve-chamber off set from and open to the upper end of the charging-chamber, and by locating the valve-case partly within said valve-chamber and controlling an inlet through the bottom of the o'liset portion thereof I am able to secure ample room for the valve-operating connections and for the supply-pipe for said inlet, while e1nplo;;'ing a cylinder of small diameter for the charging and liquid chambers.

I/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, i.s

1. In a carbonator, the combination with a char ing-chamber and a subjacent liquidchamber communicating with the chargingchamber; of means for supplying gas under pressure to the chargingchamber; a valvecase mounted in connection with an inlet to said charging-chamber and having a portion of said case located within said chargingchamber and provided with spray-apertures a valve controlling said inlet and having a stem projecting through said valve-case into said charging-chamber; a float located in said. liquid-chamber; and connections extending through the charging-chamber between said float and valve-stem.

2. In a carbonator, the combination with a cylindrical inclosure having in its lower end a liquidchamber, and in its upper end a charging-chamber communicating with the liquid-chamber, and having at its upper end a valve-chamber ofl set from, and open to, the char ing-chamber; of a valve-case, secured in connection. with an inlet, to said valvechamber and having a portion of the valvecase located within said valve-chamber, and provided on the side adjacent to the charging-chamber with spray-apertures; a valve controlling said inlet and having astem extending through said case into said valvechamb r; a valve-operating lever connected with said stem and located in said valve chamber, with one end overhanging the charging-chamber; a float located in said liquid-chamb er; and a rod extending through said charging-chamber and connecting together said float and valve-lever.

3. In a carbonator, the combination with a charging-chamber having a percolator; and a subjacent liquid-chamber communicating with the charging-chamb er; of means for supplying gas under pressure to said chargingchamber a valve controlling a liquid-inlet to said pe' 'colator a float located in said liquidchamber; a tube extending upwardly from said liquid-chamber through said percolator; and a controlling connection between said float and valve extending through said tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of January, 1906.

v FREDERICK R. H. THOMAS. Vitnesses:

GEO. A. MosHER,

J. L. FULLER. 

